Around Stockholm, February 2023
February was a month of bright but cold sun, late piles of Christmas trees on pavements, the return of outdoor fika, thick ice, long shadows, people on sledges, birds chirping for the first time in weeks, pastel sunsets, and faces peeping out of hoods and jackets once again.
Cold shadows surrounding warm toned buildings look so beautiful at this time of year. And the arrival of pastel skies means a giant slask fest isn't far away — Slask is the word for brown, melting snow slush.
The sun hung very low; it was almost overwhelming after prolonged darkness. I don't know how the Swedes do it but some seem to have mastered the art of walking towards the sun with their eyes closed, without bumping into people.
More light means people slowed down a little — there's less need to swiftly move from place to place when the sun is shining.
People started enjoying fika outdoors in larger numbers, despite the sub zero temperatures. I love that Nordic residents are not easily deterred from spending time outdoors in the cold.
Despite everything going on in Sweden and the rest of the world, a test for the best and worst fish fingers made the papers. This headline says the winner is crispy and juicy, while the loser contains the least fish and tastes like old cloth.
That's all for February!
